A Colorado movie theater shooting has killed at least a dozen people and wounded dozens of others at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises. A man kicked in the door at a theater in an Aurora mall, threw a canister of tear gas in, and opened fire.

According to reports, movie goers first believed it was all part of the film, which deals with dark themes. Certainly when it comes to Batman villains, an attack like this wouldn't be outside the realm. Was the gunman inspired by the film or was he merely choosing at random where he knew many people would be seated and easy to kill? Does it matter?

It's hard to wrap our heads around the notion of so much death. Fourteen people. It's just beyond comprehension.

There are so many tragic elements to this story, it's hard to know where to even begin. But, perhaps what is most disturbing to me is the idea that these people had been excited for months about this movie. They had taken the time to get their tickets for the first possible showing, stayed up way past bedtime, and expected to be the first people to see it.

The mood in the theater was probably one of jubilation and excitement. I bet people dressed up in costumes and applauded when the previews ended and the real film started. I bet they were bonding over their love of the previous two films and the smell of popcorn filled the air. And then this. An amateur video captures some of the chaos. See below:

Nothing about this will make any sense. The latest reports are that the suspect is in custody and he is 24. But why someone would do this is a complete mystery. The loss of life is just staggering.

It's the kind of thing that makes us all wish there was a real Batman who could come to our rescue and make things like this end. But there isn't. There is no superhero to save us from the bad guys.

Why do you think someone would do something like this?

**This story was reported with the latest news at the time. Current reports are saying the number of dead is actually 12.